Ladder



. No Model.) 1 G. E. NOWLAND. LADDER.

(yewyelf l/g Patented Jan. 27,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

GEORGE E. NOWVLAND, OF N El/V BOSTON, MICHIGAN.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,453, dated January27, 1891.

Application filed November 6, 1890. Serial No. 370,459. (No model.)

To aid whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. NowLAND, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re siding at New Bostomin the countyof \Vayne and State ofMichigamhave in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sectional ladders.

The objectof the invention is to provide a ladder which is soconstructed that the parts can be connected together to form alongladder or folded so as to make a stepJadderan platformsupport; and itconsists in the construction and combination of theparts, as will behereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a perspective view of a ladder constructed in accordance withmyinventiomthe sections being connected to form an ordinary ladder. Fig.2 is a side view showing two sections arranged to form a stop-ladder andplatform-support. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the platform. Fig. at is aplan view of the under side of the platform shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is adetail view of the lock for securing the first and secondladder-sections together.

A, B, and 0 refer to the different laddersections,the upper sections, orB and 0, being made up of parallel side pieces I) b and c c, to whichthe rungs are secured in the usual man ner. The side pieces a a of thelowerladdersection A diverge at their lower ends so as to give a widerbase. The upper ends of the side pieces 0. and the lower ends of theside pieces Z) of the sections A and B are beveled or cut at an angle,as shown, and on opposite sides of saidladdersections are seen redplates e and e, which overlap the ends of the sections, as shown. Thesesections are further secured to each other by side bars D D, at: tachedto the side pieces of the sections by pivot bolts f f, and centrallythese re-enforcing bars D have pivotally attached thereto stirrups g,which embrace the overlapping plates of the sections and hold the sameon a line with each other. To the upper end of the section B and ends ofthe succeeding sections are secured angle-irons h, the projecting endsthereof being adapted to engage the rung of the adjacent section to formthe rigid con- 0 nectiou, as shown. By providing the sections B and Owith such angle-irons thesaid sections can be detachably secured inplace.

E refers to a platform or board, which is of suitable length, the widthcorresponding with the distance between the side pieces of theladder-sections A and B, and said board or platform is provided on itsupper surface near each corner with angle-irons t 2', the projectingends of which are adapted to lap the side pieces of the ladder-sectionswhen positioned, as shown in Fig. 2. The under side of this board has acleat or brace 7i rigidly secured thereto, which carries turn-buttons ZZ, i11- tended to engage the upper rungs of the sections to retain theboard in place. The plat form constructed as described, when used inconnection with the ladder-sections and brace D, will present a rigidstructure, which can be used as a step-ladder.

A combination-ladder constructed as hereinbefore described is extremelysimple, can be cheaply manufactured, easilymanipulated, and when notinuse folded to occupy but little space.

The pivoted stirrups are arranged to swing downward when the ladder isin use, thereby obviating the employment of catches or fasteningdevices.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to provide afolding ladder with means whereby the sections can be held one upon theother, the two lower sections being adapted to be arranged to support. aplatform, and I do not claim such construction, broadly, as myinvention.

I claim 1. The combination, in a ladder, of the sections A B, side barsD, pivotally attached thereto and carrying stirrups which embrace toothe ends of the sections, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a ladder, of the sections A B, having plates eand e secured thereto, bars D, connecting said sections and carryingstirrups the projecting ends of which embrace the plates 6 and e,substantially as Set forth.

3. In a ladder, the combination of the sections A and B, plates 6 and e,rigidly secured to the ends of said sections to overlap the same, sidebars D D, bolted to the sides of the sections near the ends thereof andcarrying stirrups g, the projecting ends of which embrace the plates eand e, the parts being organized subs antially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the ladder-sections connected to each other bybars D D, of a platform E, having angle-irons i, which are adapted toembrace theside pieces of said ladder-sections, said platform carryingon its GEORGE E. NOWVLAND.

\Vitnesses:

W. 1-1. HEYWOOD, L. H. HEYXVOOD;

